French grammar
La taille et la pointure
Buy clothes and give your size.
From the scene Quelle taille ? (What size?)
In short
Clothes size is la taille, shoe size is la pointure. Give yours with je fais du trente-huit.
Your turn
Which one goes with what size? (shoes)?
Options: quelle taille ? · je fais du trente-huit · quelle pointure ?
Show answer
what size? (shoes) → quelle pointure ?
How it works
For clothes, size is la taille: Quelle taille ? — Taille trente-huit.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Oui, j'ai besoin de chaussures. Et (blank) robe.
Options: de · d'une
Show answer
Oui, j'ai besoin de chaussures. Et d'une robe.
Yes, I need shoes. And a dress.
Good to know
For shoes, French uses la pointure: Quelle pointure ? — Pointure trente-neuf. To give your size, say je fais du trente-huit.
Your turn
Pick the word that fits the line.
Pointure trente-neuf. Et pour la robe, (blank) trente-huit.
Clue: the size of the dress
Options: pointure · taille
Show answer
Pointure trente-neuf. Et pour la robe, taille trente-huit.
Shoes, a thirty-nine. Dress, size thirty-eight.
what size? (clothes) quelle taille ?
Javi
Quelle taille ?
What size?
Your turn
What fills the gap?
(blank) ?
Options: Quelle pointure · Je fais du trente-huit · Quelle taille
Show answer
Javi
Quelle taille ?
What size?
what size? (shoes) quelle pointure ?
Your turn
What goes with quelle pointure ??
Options: I'm a thirty-eight · what size? (shoes) · what size? (clothes)
Show answer
quelle pointure ? → what size? (shoes)
I'm a thirty-eight je fais du trente-huit
trousers un pantalon
Nuria
Je voudrais un pantalon.
I'd like some trousers.
Your turn
What fills the gap?
Je voudrais (blank).
Options: quelle pointure · un pantalon · quelle taille
Show answer
Nuria
Je voudrais un pantalon.
I'd like some trousers.
shoes / a dress des chaussures / une robe
Watch out
"trousers" is singular in French — un pantalon.
Common mistake
Not Pointure here. The size of the trousers.
Taille trente-huit.
Size thirty-eight.
Practise it in the story
Meet this rule inside a short animated scene. Answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
Practise free in the appSee all forms
| what size? (clothes) | quelle taille ? |
|---|---|
| what size? (shoes) | quelle pointure ? |
| I'm a thirty-eight | je fais du trente-huit |
| trousers | un pantalon |
| shoes / a dress | des chaussures / une robe |
More lines from the story
- NuriaTaille trente-huit.Size thirty-eight.
- NuriaOui, j'ai besoin de chaussures. Et d'une robe.Yes, I need shoes. And a dress.
- NuriaPointure trente-neuf. Et pour la robe, taille trente-huit.Shoes, a thirty-nine. Dress, size thirty-eight.
- NuriaCent euros ? D'accord... juste le pantalon.A hundred euros? Okay... just the trousers.